We have been a part of her journey from the beginning of her story to now the end of her first cruise contract. Her experiences have been fun to share as she travels the open seas, showing us the world she lives and works in daily. Madeline McClurg, daughter of Matt and Kimberly McClurg of Clarkesville, holds the title of Activity Host on the Celebrity Edge Cruise Line. The job fits her perfectly and her life onboard the cruise ship is filled with adventure. If you have not been keeping up with her story, this is Part V of a series of articles following Madeline around the world. You can read Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV.
What is next?
Her contract with Celebrity Edge has ended. For the past six months, Madeline has traveled to Auckland, New Zealand; Australia; the French Polynesia; Hawaii; Vancouver, Canada; and Alaska.
“I am excited to have been offered another six-month contract as an activity host on Celebrity Ascent which will begin October 26th in Barcelona, Spain,” Madeline revealed. “I will sail just for a few days in Europe before crossing over into the Caribbean for the remainder of my contract.”
The Celebrity Edge cruise ship became a home away from home for Madeline. “It was an emotional time trying to wrap it all up. Living on Celebrity Edge changed me for the better in many ways.”
For Madeline, imagining the reality that she will never be on that exact ship with the same people with the same itinerary ever again is heartbreaking and overwhelming. There is an assurance that she will see the people she worked with again sooner or later and that is a great consolation for her.
“I know I have people in my corner in all parts of the world,” Madeline added.
It is a comfort for her that some of the team members from the Celebrity Edge will be with her on the Celebrity Ascent cruise ship.
Looking back
Over the past six months, Madeline has enjoyed many new experiences. It has been an incredible journey from travel to job to ship life. “At every destination, I tried to do something new every time: the Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, the many malls there, the amazing food places. I can honestly say that being in Sydney was one of the best experiences that I had with this contract.”
As far as Madeline’s job, the journey was expected and also unexpected. There were more challenges than she ever thought possible, largely due to the energy it takes to do what the job requires her to do.
As an Activity Host, the team works seven days a week and are the “faces” of the ship. “Because of this, we always have to be top of our game. I learned so much about how to work with others, how to handle a crisis, and how to deal with guests who were not being so kind to me.”
Madeline said she knows how to think on her feet and that everything won’t always be 100% as she might want it to be.
“I am so very thankful for the valuable lessons. I am also grateful, too, to have found a job that is so ME! I have truly loved every second of it,” Madeline added.
The meaning of ship life
Ship life encompasses so many things. Madeline laughed about how difficult it was at first not to fall when the ship was particularly rocky. Gaining her sea legs took time.
The living quarters are tight with all the other team members. The terminology and safety practices take time to learn and understand. “It’s feeling the excitement of arriving in a part of the world I’ve been looking forward to and it’s feeling homesick at times missing my life on land as I am immersed in a completely different world at sea.”
Like the Little Mermaid, Madeline found herself longing for both at times. But, with the challenges she had to overcome, Madeline believes that she wouldn’t trade it for anything.
As she faces a new ship, and a new contract, Madeline’s approach will be different. Tucked under her belt is time at sea, managing guests, traveling, learning the ropes, and developing and growing in life.
“When I landed in Auckland that first day, I was already like ‘OK, I am here. I just flew across the world. I can DO this.” And I did.
Memories
“On the third day onboard Celebrity Edge, the cruise director all of a sudden put me on the spot and made me host a gameshow that requires a lot of quick thinking and confidence,” Madeline began. “This was a defining moment for me, but after I did it, I realized that nothing scared me anymore.”
After that, Madeline hosted game shows, sports activities, arts and crafts, and so much more. She sang the National Anthem, crossed the equator, jumped off the Sky Tower, and hiked in parts of the world she still marvels at. “What I loved about the job is that there were always ways to improve and always things to learn Even on my last week of the contract, I hosted a gameshow I had never hosted before.”
Madeline agrees the travel bug has hit her and she is hungry for more. “I have seen and done so many things, but now that my eyes have been opened to the thrills of traveling and meeting new people, I need to keep going with it for longer,” she said.
The future
Her next adventure starts in October on the Celebrity Ascent as the Activity Host. After that, she is not certain. At this time in her life, she is seeing where the tide takes her, literally.
“I can see myself doing this for much longer and even making a career out of it. I can also see myself eventually wanting to settle down and find a job teaching music. Wherever I go and whatever I do, I know that I have made memories to last a lifetime and will continue to do so,” Madeline said confidently.
Now Habersham would like to thank Madeline McClurg for sharing her journey with us. We’ve all had the opportunity of Livin’ The Dream, traveling the world with Madeline, and for that, we too have found a small part of that dream through her.
